Used iPhone 14 buyer takes legal action after seller ghosts him

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A legal case may serve as a bit of a PSA after someone bought a used iPhone 14 Plus and later realized it didn’t work.

After some back-and-forth communication, followed by the seller ghosting the buyer, the buyer took legal action at the BC Civil Resolution Tribunal.

Mazahir Musthafa claimed $1,000 for the purchase price of the phone that he bought from Tomasz Manulik.

In a publicly posted decision, the tribunal sided with the buyer, and here’s why.

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Musthafa came to the small claims case prepared with a lot of evidence, including a recorded conversation between himself and a Fido employee.

According to the evidence, Manulik blocked the iPhone, making it so Musthafa couldn’t unblock it. The phone had been reported stolen or lost, and the only way to unblock it was for Manulik to call the provider and remove the block.

The Fido employee even said the sale transaction could’ve been a scam, though the tribunal doesn’t state whether it was.

On the other hand, Manulik didn’t have any evidence to support his stance that Musthafa didn’t register the phone in his name for over 30 days after the sale. He also said that he wasn’t responsible for Fido’s actions and that Musthafa should have registered the phone in his name sooner.

Musthafa bought the phone on January 19, 2023. On February 28, Musthafa texted Manulik that the phone wasn’t working. Musthafa asked Manulik to call Rogers and ask them to unblock the device. Both sides exchanged more texts until April 3, when Manulik stopped replying.

The tribunal determined that Manulik sold a phone that was not usable and that there was no evidence that Manulik remedied the situation to make the phone usable.

Manulik was ordered to not only refund Musthafa but also pay his tribunal fees, totaling $1,206.32.

If you’re looking to buy a used iPhone, follow Apple’s advice here.